The present invention generally relates to implantable medical devices and instruments. Specifically, the invention relates to a method and a system for collecting diagnostic data from an implantable medical device (IMD) using a telemetry scheme.
In recent years, implantable medical device technology has rapidly advanced. Sizes and weights of devices have decreased, while functionality has increased. These advances have created a corresponding demand for improved two-way communication or telemetry between the implantable medical device and an external device, for example, a programmer device. In a pacemaker system, for example, a programmer device downloads to an implanted pacemaker, data such as operating parameters. Likewise, data may flow from the implanted device to the programmer device. Modem pacemakers are capable of storing significant amounts of data about the patient, for example, the average heart rate, and information pertaining to the pacemaker itself, for example, battery voltage level. Generally, the implanted device is transmitted to the programmer device for review and evaluation by a physician.
Current programming devices typically include an extendible head portion that includes an antenna. The antenna is connected to other circuitry in the programmer device via a stretchable coil cable. Thus, the head portion can be positioned over the patient""s implanted device site for programming or telemetry interrogation of the implanted device. Command instructions or data that are downloaded to the implanted device are referred to as downlink transmissions, and data transmitted from the implanted device to the programmer device are referred to as uplink transmissions.
Patients with IMDs, such as a pacemaker or a defibrillator, are normally required to visit their physician on a regular schedule. These visits usually involve the physician reviewing diagnostic data retrieved by interrogation of the IMD. The retrieved data includes, for example, a device ID, patient identification information, device status, diagnostic counters, trend information, and stored IEGM (intracardiac electrogram).
Cost containment requirements of hospitals and clinics are forcing physicians to examine more patients in less time. As a result, the average physician no longer has the freedom to have open-ended visits with patients and must now allot a limited amount of consultation time per patient.
The reduced time that physicians have for examining patients is especially impacting patients using IMDs. Based on current data transmission techniques for IMDs, the uplink transmission time may take as long as 15 minutes for approximately 256 Kbytes and in the future could easily increase to over 60 minutes for approximately 1 Mbyte. Although future telemetry systems may provide increased bandwidth, the continued increase in data being stored within implantable devices may offset this advance.
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to addressing the above and other needs in connection with conducting external follow-up monitoring of IMDs while patients are waiting in a hospital or clinic waiting room prior to a routine or emergency meeting with their physician. More specifically, the invention enables the collection of diagnostic data from IMDs while patients are waiting to be examined, thereby improving physician efficiency and reducing medical costs. Accordingly, it has been discovered that reducing the time required to retrieve information from an IMD provides the physician with the opportunity to better use the time allotted for each patient.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for communicating between an implanted device and a medical data processing system occurs via a communications module coupled to an antenna member and to the medical data processing system. The communication module and the antenna are arranged to transmit and receive radio frequency signals within a range. The method includes broadcasting interrogation requests in the range via the communications module and antenna arrangement and establishing a communications link between the implanted device present in the range and the communications module. A set of patient diagnostic data is then transmitted from the implanted device to the communications module in response to an encoded radio frequency signal from the communications module. In response to receiving the transmitted set of diagnostic data from the communications module, processing and reporting the set of diagnostic data commences via the medical data processing system. The reported set of diagnostic data is then used by the medical professional, for example, during a patient examination.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a system for communicating between an implanted device and a medical data processing system includes a data processing system configured and arranged to generate a control signal to initiate communication with an implanted medical device and an antenna arrangement that is coupled to a communications module located in at least one range that is configured and arranged to transmit radio frequency signals recognizable by the implanted device. The communication module is configured and arranged to establish a communications link between the implanted device present in the range and the medical data processing system. In addition, the communications module is configured and arranged to automatically retrieve a set of diagnostic patient data from the implanted device after the implanted device has responded to an encoded radio frequency signal sent by the medical data processing system. The medical data processing system is configured to process and report the set of patient data for use during a patient examination.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures in the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.